Now Commenting On:

Crow hop slows down Gose's throwing ability

Crow hop slows down Gose's throwing ability

TORONTO -- Outfielder Anthony Gose has one of the best throwing arms in baseball, but so far poor mechanics have stopped him from unleashing that weapon on opposing teams.

Gose, who is a former pitcher, has well-above average arm strength. The issue is that he also has a big wind-up and has a tendency to take a couple of steps before finally letting loose on a throw.

"We're in the process of addressing that with both he and Moises [Sierra]," manager John Farrell said. "Their release times are far too long and it hasn't taken long for word to get around the league. They both have well-above average throwing arms, but we have to get them into a better position to take advantage of it."

Gose's throwing ability should strike fear into base coaches on opposing teams. Instead, other clubs are taking advantage of the delayed mechanics by often taking the extra base and consistently trying to score from second base on singles to the outfield.

The biggest issue is the couple of hops Gose goes through after he catches the ball and prepares to release the ball. The same could be said for Sierra, who also is going through a similar issue.

"What they're currently doing, typically what you do is when you receive a ball on the ground, you're receiving it as you're stepping to the ball with your glove foot," Farrell said.

"Then in a matter of one step you'd like to see the ball in flight. But there's a crow hop involved almost like they're crow hopping to long toss. It's taking an above-average arm and playing down a full grade on a scouting scale."